Wonder World Seasonal #14 by Platinum Media Lab

n° 14 -

Summer 2016 - € 10

Austria – Germany – Holland – Belgium – Luxembourg – Spain – France – Monaco – Portugal = Euro 10,00 – Switzerland – Switzerland Ticino = Chf 10,50 – United Kingdom = £ 7,50

ITALIAN STYLE IN DESIGN, FOOD AND LIVING

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QUARTERLY Poste Italiane S.p.a. Spedizione in Abbonamento Postale - 70% - LO/MI

seasonal

THE HEAD SAYS YES. THE HEART SAYS DEFINITELY, YES.

MASERATI GHIBLI. THE ABSOLUTE OPPOSITE OF ORDINARY THE ALL NEW MASERATI GHIBLI IS POWERED BY A RANGE OF ADVANCED 3.0 LITRE V6 ENGINES WITH 8-SPEED ZF AUTO, INCLUDING A V6 TURBODIESEL ENGINE, AND IS AVAILABLE WITH MASERATI’S Q4 INTELLIGENT ALL WHEEL DRIVE SYSTEM. ENGINE (GHIBLI DIESEL): V6 60° 2987 CC - MAX POWER: 275 HP AT 4000 RPM - MAX TORQUE: 600 NM AT 2600 RPM - MAX SPEED: 250 KM/H - 0-100 KM/H ACCELERATION: 6.3 SECS - FUEL CONSUMPTION (COMBINED CYCLE): 5.9 L/100 KM - CO2 EMISSIONS (COMBINED CYCLE): 158 G/KM The data may not refer to the model represented.

www.maserati.com

Maserati

L E CHRONOPASSION

Hand-Painted by Alvaro Soler 88 Pieces WorldWide

edelberg.ch

editorial

Once you have travelled, the voyage never ends, but is played out over and over again in the quietest chambers. The mind can never break off from the journey

(Pat Conroy)

Viva l’Italia! We Italians have the privilege and good fortune to be born in a generous land. There are many good reasons why it’s also called the “Bel Paese”, the beautiful country. Art and culture, history and great beauty. Plus, of course, food and wine, fashion and design, tradition and customs. With fifty UNESCO World Heritage Sites around the country Italy wins the world’s most important championship - and it’s nothing to do with football. the Dolomites, the city of Verona, Ferrara and the Po Delta in the north, the historic centres of San Gimignano, Florence and Rome, the Villa Adriana and Villa D’Este at Tivoli in central Italy and the archaeological areas of Pompeii, Herculaneum and Torre Annunziata, I Sassi and the rock churches of Matera, the Amalfi Coast, the Aeolian Islands and much more in the south. They are all places that merit visiting at least once in a lifetime, and we’d like to take advantage of this renewed and increasingly Italy-oriented Wonder World Seasonal to present these examples of our country’s excellence to curious travellers. We’d like to invite everyone to use this as a starting point for their journey in search of enchanted places that are full of life and passion.

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in this issue n째 14

summer 2016

departments 7 Editorial 14

5 questions

16 Arts 20 News 22

Weekend

26 Spa 32

Luxury rental

34 Watches 38

Being in the world

56 Style

68 Objects 84 Air

110

Best of Italy

talking about 44 Masseria San Nicola, Salento 62 Monastero Santa Rosa, Amalfi 72 Design Hotel, Milan 88 Golf 104 Italian chefs

104

destinations 50 Zanzibar 78 Andalusia 92

Cinque Terre

96 Sicilia

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1 2

3 4

7 8

1. Golf Castello di Spessa, Capriva del Friuli, Friuli 2. Burano, Veneto 3. Milano, Lombardy 4. 5 Terre, Liguria 5. Capalbio, Tuscany 6. Assisi, Umbria 7. Castello di Semivicoli, Casacanditella, Abruzzo 8. Masseria San Nicola, Savelletri, Puglia 9. Amalfi, Campania 10. Ischia, Campania 11. Sicily 12. Sardinna Antiga, Santa Lucia di Siniscola, Sardinia

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5 questions by Grazia Saporiti

to...

We asked Heritage, Culture and Tourism Minister Dario Franceschini about the health of our tourism industry. He reveals that Italy is one of the most popular destinations for international travellers, drawn by the excellence offered by the “Bel Paese”

Post-BIT, Italy has proved to be the world’s favourite tourist destination. What is its major attraction? Our widespread cultural heritage and the wealth of attractions our regions offer make Italy the number one destination for travellers from all over the world. Anyone spending a holiday in our country can enjoy artistic beauty and extraordinary architecture in a unique landscape where our regions offer a wonderful tradition of fine food, wines and excellent cuisine. We must remain aware of this and do the best we can to promote this wealth, promoting sustainable tourism that isn’t concentrated in one place and takes travellers beyond Florence, Rome and Venice to our the many cities of art, villages, castles, monasteries, renaissance residences and historic gardens throughout the peninsula.

Which regions are top of the list? Rather than talk about rankings it’s better to discuss the enormous potential offered by the Mezzogiorno area, the south of Italy, which currently attracts only 15% of international tourism. We must highlight its cultural heritage, transforming it into an engine for economic, social and civic growth in these regions. For the first time the National Plan, co-financed by the EU, will direct 490 million euro of investment there between 2014 and 2020. It’s a concrete commitment, and will be complemented by the development of the infrastructure needed to handle the growth in tourist flows.

And what regions should be strengthened, and how should this be done? As I’ve said since I took up this post the South is Italy’s great wager. We must make it easier for tourists to reach those regions that offer such an extraordinary heritage, especially with high speed railways. There should be a much more comprehensive network in the South.

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The pros and cons of the Italian tourism system Italy is an extraordinary brand but we need to make up for lost time in international competition. Our strength lies in having sites scattered across the entire country, so that gives us the opportunity for further growth in areas outside the usual tourist itineraries. We can no longer promote ourselves to the world in a fragmentary, disorganised way. We’ll be discussing this in Pietrarsa, in the striking setting of the railway museum, from 7 to 9 April, with the aim of identifying a clearly-defined strategy for presenting Italy to the world.

How can we improve our offer? ENIT (the National Tourism Agency) has now been relaunched and will soon be able to operate hand-in-hand with the regions to recalibrate our presence on the international tourist markets. We also have to bridge the digital gap in our hospitality structures, so we’ve introduced significant financial help for investors. Finally, as I said, we must do all we can to promote widespread tourism that should channel tourist flows throughout the country.

Managed by PlanHotel Hospitality Group

Enjoy Real Hospitality

Zanzibar Kenya - Maldives - Mozambique - Zanzibar

www.diamondsresorts.com

arts

ITA LY

by Fabio Mazzetto

“HERB RITTS. IN EQUILIBRIUM” Herb Ritts (1952-2002) is the artist of the 1990s, just as Michelangelo belongs to the renaissance. It’s not a random comparison - as well as being the right man in the right century, Ritts’ sculptural nudes evoke the perfection of the classical shapes that also inspired the Tuscan artist. Only Ritts could create in his portraits a perfect harmony between form and light. Supermodels and stars were transformed into timeless, essential, iconic images - light and shade, black and white, yin and yang, the eternal play of opposites in the great American photographer’s works as he created, through his artistic progress, a new, global collective imagination. The event at Milan’s Palazzo della Ragione presents over 100 original images, as well as video installations from the Herb Ritts Foundation in Los Angeles, specially selected for the first great retrospective in Milan dedicated to the artist. #nofiltersneeded Palazzo della Ragione Fotografia 20 February – 05 June 2016 www.palazzodellaragionefotografia.it 16

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Milano

“RYAN MCGINLEY. THE FOUR SEASONS”

Bergamo

The subject may initially seem overworked, but the images by this photographer, a golden boy right from the beginning of his career, lead us on a journey of discovery of landscapes straddling symbolism and neo-romanticism, populated by models who grew up in the hedonistic warmth of a neverending spring. #Eternal beauty GAMeC 19 February – 15 May 2016 www.gamec.it

CORREGGIO E PARMIGIANINO. ART AND PARMA IN THE 16TH CENTURY Between the renaissance and baroque, the 16th century saw the spread of an eccentric artistic language that sometimes broke free of the dictates of the renaissance. This links the two subjects of the exhibition, who helped make Parma one of the period’s great artistic centres. #Parma, capital of the world! Scuderie del Quirinale March – June 2016 www.scuderiequirinale.it

Roma

ITA LY

Torino

MATISSE AND HIS TIME A number of works from the Centre Pompidou in Paris depict the friendships and artistic exchanges between Matisse and those who influenced his poetic sensibility, and were in their turn dazzled by the master colourist’s innovative power. # Accorrete in tempo! Palazzo Chiablese 12 December 2015 – 15 May 2016 www.mostramatisse.it

Forlì

PIERO DELLA FRANCESCA. INVESTIGATING A LEGEND The constant interchanges between criticism and art, historical research and artistic production over more than five centuries are the subject of an exhibition dedicated to the great master of the Italian renaissance. #A blockbuster event. Musei di San Domenico 13 February – 26 June 2016 www.mostrefondazioneforli.it

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Den Bosch

arts

JHERONIMUS BOSCH VISION OF GENIUS

by Fabio Mazzetto

WO RLD London

Madrid

GEORGES DE LA TOUR. 1593 - 1652” Almost monochrome paintings and monumental shapes redolent of solitude and silence, the evocative nights of a French artist rediscovered in the 20th century. #The night has just one name. Museo del Prado 23 February – 12 June 2016 www.museodelprado.es

Frankfurt

This grand retrospective is underpinned by extensive, groundbreaking research on the artistic output of Hieronymus Bosch (ca. 1450 – 1516). For the very first time his visionary paintings return in numbers to ‘s-Hertogenbosch (Den Bosch), the city where they were created. #Proto-surrealist. ‘s-Hertogenbosch (Den Bosch) Noordbrabants Museum 13 February – 08 May 2016 www.hetnoordbrabantsmuseum.nl

MARC CHAGALL AND MUSIC A synthesis of two shows held last autumn in Paris, the exhibition includes new works that can only be seen in Nice - the auditorium Marc Chagall commissioned for his museum, the harpsichord the artist painted in 1980 and a room devoted entirely to King David. #Painted music. Musée national Marc Chagall 05 March – 13 June 2016 it.musees-nationaux-alpesmaritimes.fr

VOGUE 100 A CENTURY OF STYLE Over 280 prints from the Condé Nast archives and other collections brought together for the first time to tell the story of one of the world’s most influential fashion magazines. #Vogue-Vogue-Vogue! National Portrait Gallery 11 February – 22 May 2016 www.npg.org.uk

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MANIERA. PONTORMO, BRONZINO AND MEDICI FLORENCE In 1512 the Medici family returned to Florence to settle in the Tuscan capital and its surrounding area. The artists on show will celebrate the dynastic glory of Cosimo I and his court, introducing a new style. #Great Italian culture Städel Museum 24 February – 06 June 2016 www.staedelmuseum.de

Nice

“Sicily at its best” MASSERIA DELLA VOLPE - NOTO - SICILY www.masseriadellavolpe.com — info@masseriadellavolpe.it — +39 0931 856055

1. CLUBHOUSE BRERA

news

The new Copernico project, a platform that makes available a network of places where visitors can work, evolve, develop ideas

by Teresa Crespi

and hone entrepreneurial skills is opening in the centre of Milan in the former Teatro delle Erbe. This members-only club is designed to

enable guests to work, network and increase their knowledge, and will be open to 500 high-profile members from a variety of sectors, from finance to design, real estate and food, with an emphasis on the fashion world, culture and the arts. Clubhouse will also be a focal point for the Design Week and the Fuorisalone, ideally located within the fabric of the Brera Design District. From 12 to 17 April it will be transformed into a design club where operators in the sector, designers and opinion-makers can meet, network, relax and work online using the always-on wi-fi connection, or even slip inside for a coffee at any time of day. www.clubhousebrera.com 2.TEN YEARS OF STARS From May 1 to June 19 in Italian-speaking Switzerland’s most exclusive venues, from Lugano to Ascona and Vacallo, fine food is the order of the day. To celebrate its tenth anniversary, S.Pellegrino Sapori Ticino takes on a 3-star presence as ten 3-star Michelin international chefs serve ten dinners during the packed calendar. A unique, unprecedented event that brings together some of the most famous representatives of top-class international restaurant services - a total

of sixty Michelin stars will feature in the festival’s evening celebrations, honouring the Ticino, its region and its areas of excellence. The event opens with the gala evenings at Vitznau and Lausanne to promote the fine food and wine of Ticino, with the participation of many of the finest local chefs. Then from May 1 haute cuisine goes live with finals at Lugano’s Grand Hotel Eden on June 19. www.sanpellegrinosaporiticino.com

3. DINING WITH THE STARS Glittering success for the second edition of an initiative that brings the star chefs of the Jeunes Restaurateurs to the kitchens of the Overwater Restaurants in the Maldive resorts of the Planhotel Hospitality Group, Diamonds Athuruga and Diamonds Thudufushi. After the success of last year’s event the group led by Sara Rosso has renewed its partnership with the association, which brings together young talent with a shared passion for their work and a philosophy based on local products and traditions, combining them with creative, highly specialised preparation. The next date for a fine food experience in the Maldives is November, with the promise of some exciting surprises! www.diamondsresorts.com 4. NEW PORTAL ON TRENITIALIA’S HIGH SPEED TRAINS Passengers on Italy’s supertrains will be able to enjoy, with no payment, Italian and foreign films (many in English), TV programmes, music playlists, ANSA agency news, journey information updated in real time and wifi connection provided by TIM. Accessing the new portal is simple and intuitive - the new interfaces, with clearer graphics and colours, make it easier to identify the desired service. The real novelty, though, is registration - users register one time only on the

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first access, and this covers all the services. A mobile number and password can be used to access the FRECCE portal on all successive journeys on Frecciarossa and Frecciargento. www.fsnews.it

5. THE UNBOUND COLLECTION BY HYATT A new high-end brand from Hyatt Hotels Corporation. The brand

includes historic urban buildings, contemporary design hotels and boutique hotels and resorts that retain their individual identity and will free of any restrictions, while still forming part of the collection. The aim is to offer travellers a pleasant, exciting stay in luxury accommodation that maintains the group’s high quality standards. One of the first hotels to join the collection is the Hôtel du Louvre in Paris. The others are in Texas (The Driskill Hotel), Uruguay (the Carmelo Resort & Spa) and Hawaii, where the Coco Palms Resort at Kauai has joined the brand. www.hyatt.com 6. NEW FOUR SEASONS HOTEL JAKARTA Capital Place, the luxurious multi-function business area in the heart of the Sudirman Central quarter, has another exclusive address. The hotel, with its 125 suites with spectacular view over the Jakarta syline, will provide a significant new addition to the city’s urban landscape. Internationally-renowned architects Pelli Clarke Pelli have created

a unique design that references Indonesian architecture. There is, of course, a wonderful spa, as well as a fitness centre, event and meeting rooms and top class food and wines. www.fourseasons.com 7. TAKING UP A NEW POST Benedikt Jaschke, born in Monaco and with significant experience in the Italian and international luxury hotel business, is the general manager brought in by Kempinski Hotels for the reopening of the San

Clemente Palace in Venice, the Kempinski Group’s flagship address in Italy. Already in Venice to oversee the hotel’s pre-opening work, Jaschke is returning to Italy after a sojourn at the Adlon Kempinski Berlin and taking on a managerial role in prestigious hotels like the Hassler in Rome and Milan’s Principe di Savoia. German, forty years old, Jaschke has had an eventful career in the international hospitality sector, during which he enhanced his professional knowledge and honed his organisational talents. His experience within the Kempinski Group includes stints at the Hotel Ajman in the UAE, the Grand Hotel des Bains in St. Moritz and Berlin’s Hotel Adlon. www.kempinski.com/venice 8. WILD SARDINIA Sardinna Antiga is Sardinia’s first eco-sustainable bio-village. A group of cabins resembling the ancient nuragic “pinnatu”, their dry walls covered with twigs and branches, given a more refined appeal with bedlinen hand made by the textile workers of Mogoro. The select

weaves are embellished with patterns based on ancient designs, using natural vegetable-dyed yarn. It is situated between countryside and sea at Santa Lucia di Siniscola, in “Sa Petra e S’Ape”. The valley where the village lies nestles in an other-worldly silence, broken only by birdsong. It stands among seven hectares of Mediterranean maquis, a vineyard, a synergic garden, an organic olive grove, organic vegetable garden and a small lake. Guests enjoy generous meals with organic, fairtrade and when possible zero-kilometre foods, as well as vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free alternatives. And after lunch there are trips to Sardinia’s archaeological sites and nature reserves. www.sardinnaantiga.com

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weekend by Antonella Euli

A WWF OASIS Take your time. Extend your weekend if you can. This magical place is worth it! We’re in Capalbio, at the Tenuta di Sacra, the site of the WWF oasis of Lake Burano, Italy’s largest stretch of inland water. This unique place turns a stay in the estate’s villas, surrounded by fields and separated from the sea by a strip of coastal dunes, into an exclusive experience. We chose Burano 5 with frescoed interiors and a wellness area in the old storehouse, surrounded by a huge garden and the sea only six hundred metres away, accessible along a private country road. The spotless beach is equipped with gazebos and loungers. The oasis can be visited in the company of private guides, and it provides a breathtaking spectacle - it’s a unique ecosystem, and the wonderful lagoon is overlooked by the Torre Saracena of Buranaccio and framed by sedges, reeds and Mediterranean maquis scrubland. The heart of the Costa d’Argento, it offers an intact coastal landscape where visitors can observe rare plants and many kinds of waterfowl, some resident and others that flock here in their thousands to overwinter on the lake. www.sacra.it

48H OF CHAMPAGNE Is Champagne masculine or feminine? Definitely feminine in the case of the Maison Boizel of Epernay. To find out more we visited the gracious town in the Champagne-Ardenne region, a region of illustrious bubblies. And we discover that Evelyne Roques is the fifth female head of the dynasty. She began her adventure in Champagne at the age of 22 alongside her husband Christophe, giving up her career in archaeology to run the family’s estate, which produces 500,000 bottles a year. It owns around seven hectares in the Champagne region, including a large parcel in Avize, in Côte des Blancs. Evelyne told us all about this from her headquarters in the avenue de Champagne, as she led us through the aroma-filled cellars to the wonders of the “Treasure Cave”. www.boizel.com After our crash course in Champagne production we had lunch at La Banque inside a former bank building www.brasserie-labanque.fr and enjoyed dinner at the Grillade Gourmande, the best restaurant in Epernay www.lagrilladegourmande. com. Two suggestions for sleeping: the romantic Villa Eugène www.villa-eugene.com or the hotel de charme Les Clos Raymi, once a 19th century villa owned by monsieur Chandon.

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weekend

FOR WINE LOVERS A languorous weekend with good food and, above all, fine wine. Where? In the most secret corner of the Abruzzo, a tiny village in San Martino sulla Marrucina, an ancient settlement of a thousand souls. We’re in Semivicoli, as guests of the Masciarelli family, winemakers who have come to symbolise the wines of the Abruzzo, and we’re spending a self-indulgent break at the Palazzo Baronale di Semivicoli, the rural-chic residence that is charged with memories and traces of the past. The same atmosphere also pervades the tasting room, where guests can sample the estate’s wines, olives and grappa alongside locally-grown products. From breakfast to an open-air aperitif, picnic among the vines and bespoke dinners by chefs from the Abruzzo region, the food experience at Casa Masciarelli is always superlative. In summer films are screened outdoors, and guests can enjoy grape pulp massages or practice yoga and tai chi by the pool, surrounded by olive trees just beneath the castle’s ancient vineyard. And when it’s time to return home, make room in your case for some fine wines like the Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Masciarelli, the Villa Gemma Rosso or those by Marina Cvetic. www.castellodisemivicoli.it

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Yacht Management

Via Gen. Guisan, 1 CH-6833 Vacallo Switzerland T. +41 (0) 91 6900065 E. info@floatinglife.com

www.floatinglife.com

spa by Valeria Rastrelli

WELLBEING IN A SARACEN TOWER One of Italy’s most fashionable spas, celebrated for its location and the excellence of its treatments. The Health & Beauty centre of the Mezzatorre Resort & Spa, Ischia’s most elegant five-star hotel, is surrounded by seven hectares of Mediterranean maquis, overlooking a private bay from its clifftop niche between Lacco Ameno and Forio. This alone makes the journey worthwhile, but there’s much,

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much more. Guests will stay in an ancient lookout tower or one of the rooms around the estate, eat at the Chandelier or the Sciuè Sciuè restaurant, and enjoy a stretch of sea that is almost private. The spa is a temple of well-being where guests can enjoy the ancient Roman “salus per aquam”, which means “health through water”, and is what the letters of the word spa originally stood for. Dazzling white interiors and furnishings, scented candles, natural infusions and soft background music

all lull guests into a pleasant state of relaxation. Mud and balneotherapy treatments are administered in thermal waters at a range of temperatures, and there is an extensive selection of medical/beauty treatments, from anti-stress massages to anti-aging protocols for the face, diet programmes and detoxing. The theme of well-being continues at the table - the chef has prepared a menu designed to optimise the result of the treatments. www.mezzatorre.it

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spa by Valeria Rastrelli

SPA MUSEUM IN THE SPIRITUAL HEART OF THE UMBRIA Not unique, perhaps, but almost - you don’t often enter a spa and find yourself inside a private museum. Yes, a museum! We’re in Assisi, the spiritual heart of the Umbria region and the location of the Nun Assisi Relais & Spa Museum. Eighteen spacious suites, all unique, with niches, frescoes and barrel-vaulting, conjuring up thoughts of the building’s monastic past. For a taste of Umbria visit the “Eat Out - osteria gourmet” restaurant with terrace overlooking the Rocca Maggiore and the gentle curves of the Monte Subasio. The view is magnificent, but the spa is even more spectacular. During renovation work on the monastery of Santa Caterina, built in 1275, significant archaeological remains were discovered in the basement, and they now provide a setting for the Nun Spa Museum. Reflected in the waters of the swimming pool, six limestone columns from the first century AD reveal the presence of a Roman amphitheatre that stood on the slopes of Monte Subasio, and an ancient pink limestone stairway that provided access to a temple dedicated to the waters in Roman times. And if that’s not enough, there are also massage rooms and steam baths with two Roman pools under a perfectly preserved barrel-vaulted ceiling. Ancient legend relates that there is a connection between this place and the nearby Perlasio spring, a mythical source of miraculous curative waters. Are you ready for a plunge into the past? www.nunassisi.com

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spa by Valeria Rastrelli

KURHAUS CADEMARIO: TRADITIONS AND STORIES A witness to the past and a modern wellness hotel, the Kurhaus Cademario celebrates its 100 year anniversary. Dr. Adolf Keller-Hoerschelmann was a physician with a passionate belief in the benefits of natural healing and sunlight. In 1905 he founded the Kurhaus Cademario in the mountains, at an altitude of 850 meters. The complex was modernised in 1922 and the hotel was

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kept in the family until the Kurhaus Cademario was sold in 2006 to a hotel group that redeveloped the entire complex. The new Kurhaus Cademario Hotel & Spa offers its guests all the comforts of a superior four star hotel. Its team of medical doctors and therapists also gives medical advice based on individual needs. The Kurhaus is managed by the husband and wife team of Rafaela & Peter Hoeck Domig, who have extended the wellness area and revamped the menu, which now emphasises regional and allergy-free dishes. The tradition of beauty and health inspired by Dr. Keller has been given an exciting new interpretation, while remaining true to its origins. www.kurhauscademario.com

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Luxury

rental

by Teresa Crespi

The Magic

of Argentario On the hills overlooking Porto Ercole, your gaze lingers on magnificent coastline of Argentario - and this is the view enjoyed by the ancient farmhouse that has been transformed into a lovely 300 square metre villa with wood beams, terracotta flooring and tasteful furnishings. The six bedrooms and seven bathrooms can host up to twelve people. The town is just a few kilometres away, kept out of sight and earshot by the gardens surrounding the house, which provide total privacy. It is reached by a hillside road through the Mediterranean maquis and high forest trees, and paradise awaits you at the summit. The terraced garden is a meadow studded with cork oaks and blossom-filled rosebushes, olive trees and holly, a natural extension of the estate. The paved areas are equipped with loungers and parasols, and a large table stands under the wood and bamboo gazebo, creating the ideal location for a dinner among friends, perhaps using the wood stove with barbeque. One part of the garden is occupied by a semi-circular infinity pool with solarium, while another area is dedicated to sport, with a five-a-side football pitch and a space for kidsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; games. This is the ideal location for a relaxing holiday in a natural setting, a place for long walks and horse and bike rides. Argentarioâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s magnificent beaches and coves are also within easy reach. www.villecasali.com

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Fashion WATCHES

by Paolo De Vecchi

Originally a timepiece playing a crucial role in sports, the chronograph has always been a highly fashionable item

Whether theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re by designers creating interpretations of a vintage style, like the model from Emporio Armani, or more futuristic like the American Timex, chronographs are the type of watch most appreciated by the male consumer. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an enduring trend, but these wristwatches, originally created to measure time with the accuracy that is so important in competitions, are not often used for their practical purpose but are bought for their sporty, technological appeal - interpreted in a classic style, like the 1940 by Philip Watch, with the originality displayed by the Tonino Lamborghini version or the innovation offered by Timex, which provides an app and Bluetooth connectivity to monitor fitness activities.

Emporio Armani Serie AR 1894

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Timex Metropolitan

Tonino Lamborghini Spyder

Philip Watch Grand Archive 1940

Nautica NST 30

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Fashion WATCHES

by Paolo De Vecchi

The trump card for stylists when they are designing jewels and watches is to refer to their own most distinctive creations

It’s not only diamonds and precious stones that make watches desirable for women, there is also the fashion factor. High value has always played a role in such a choice, but we shouldn’t underestimate the role of the stylist who complements precious materials with original shapes. Take, for example, Gucci’s Horsebit, with its reference to the horseriding world so dear to the brand, or one of Calvin Klein’s hottest pieces, with sensual lines and two delicate colours. The Burberry check, which has made the brand’s clothing famous all over the world, appears on its straps while the acetate insert in the Ferragamo bracelets and Versace’s iconic Medusa also catch the eye.

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Gucci Horsebit Bangle

Calvin Klein Senses

Burberry Series BU 9041

Versace Dylos Icon

Salvatore Ferragamo Gancino

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BEING IN THE WORLD

Everyday tales of Guglielmo Miani and Aldo Lorenzi - the innate, knowing elegance of two men who play with the essence of style, and break the rules

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BEING IN THE WORLD

by Antonella Euli

LARUSMIANI HAVE BROUGHT A LEGEND BACK TO LIFE BY CREATING AN EXCLUSIVE SPACE FOR ALDO LORENZI’S PRECIOUS ACCESSORIES - SHINY HORN-HANDLED KNIVES, SUMPTUOUS SHAVING TOOLS, SMOKING AND TOILETRY ARTICLES - IN THE FAMOUS BOUTIQUE AT NO. 7, VIA MONTENAPOLEONE

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xcellence is our calling card around the world, so it should be cherished like a precious jewel. So throw nothing away, and restore what you can. And don’t let anything be forgotten. That’s why the Milanese, among others, accustomed to Lorenzi’s elegant display windows in via Montenapoleone, felt lost and bewildered when they suddenly found it was no longer there. The shiny horn-handled knives, sumptuous shaving tools, smoking and toiletry articles - all those small yet important objects that are indispensable elements of class and style had disappeared. So hats off to Larusmiani, who have brought a legend back to life by creating an exclusive space for Aldo Lorenzi’s precious accessories in the famous Boutique at no. 7, via Montenapoleone. “It takes time to do things well”, grandfather Miani used to say. So let’s take all the time we need to explain the essence of this new partnership. It’s a natural alliance between two art forms - Aldo Lorenzi and his objects, handmade by master artisans, and Guglielmo Miani with his sartorial clothing, also handmade, stitch by stitch. It was 1922 when tailor Guglielmo Miani opened his shop in the heart of Milan, and now Larusmiani (“larus”, the Latiun word for seagull, is the logo sewn onto every garment), is the oldest luxury clothing and tailoring brand on Milan’s most elegant street. In the 1950s it began to sell fabrics, too, and Miani became Italy’s biggest importer of vicuña, the world’s most valuable yarn. In the 1960s his son Riccardo developed the Larusmiani fabrics division and the Concept Boutique, which opened in 1954 and was recently renovated by the famous architect David Collins - it’s now a window onto a world of constant research, where absolute quality meets the mastery of handmade products, thanks to the experience of forty master tailors and a history stretching back over more than ninety years. Aldo Lorenzi, though, born in 1935, is the second-born of a family of knife grinders

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BEING IN THE WORLD

IT’S A NATURAL ALLIANCE BETWEEN TWO ART FORMS ALDO LORENZI AND HIS OBJECTS AND GUGLIELMO MIANI WITH HIS SARTORIAL CLOTHING. AND NOW, THANKS TO THE AFFINITY BETWEEN TWO MEN IN LOVE WITH WHAT THEY DO, THESE WONDERFUL OBJECTS RETURN, TO THE DELIGHT OF ALL INCORRIGIBLE DANDIES, AND TAKE THEIR PLACE SIDE BY SIDE WITH THE FINEST ITALIAN TAILORING

who left the Trentino mountains to seek their fortune in Milan. A few years before his birth in 1929, the G. Lorenzi cutler’s shop opened at no. 9, via Montenapoleone. After finishing his studies he devoted himself to the family shop and in 1959 he married Edda Chiodini, travelling the world with her during his holidays, seeking inspiration for new creations. The period between 1960 and 1980 was one of growth for the business, and it reached the summit of excellence through

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a huge range of knives, smoker’s articles and shaving tools, worked by hand with wood, leather, copper, horn and brass. But in 2014 Aldo decided to close the doors of his shop to join his wife Edda in cataloguing their collection of cutting instruments. And now, thanks to the affinity between two men in love with what they do, these wonderful objects return, to the delight of all incorrigible dandies, and take their place side by side with the finest Italian tailoring.

SALENTO

MASSERIA SAN NICOLA An ancient farm at the gateway to the Salento region that remains deeply-rooted in the land and its traditions by Valeria Rastrelli

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SALENTO

alentoshire, or the charm of ancient farmhouses of Puglia transformed into dream residences. It’s an apt description of the Masseria San Nicola, built by the Prince of Carbonelli and summer home for the Camicia family until the 19th century. We’re at the gateway to Salento, in the Savelletri district, a part of Puglia where the natural surroundings remain untouched and life still has strong links with traditions. Here, in the farm estate that has now been transformed into a guesthouse, it’s almost possible to reach out and touch the sea. Guests stay in the spacious owners’ residence. The six rooms are all different, but share a sober elegance and strong links with the surrounding area. These are the distinctive benefits of the estate, and are also featured by the social spaces - double lounge, kitchen, large dining room, terrace and private garden with swimming pool. There are four villas around the main house, the old farm buildings -

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THE MAGICAL ATMOSPHERE OF THIS ANCIENT ESTATE ALSO CASTS ITS SPELL OVER THE YOUNG COUPLES WHO CHOOSE THE MASSERIA SAN NICOLA FOR THE MOST WONDERFUL DAY IN THEIR LIFE. PERFUMES AND COLOURS, A BEAUTIFUL SETTING AND FLAWLESS HOSPITALITY CREATE THE PERFECT BACKDROP FOR THAT TIMELESS “I DO”

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SALENTO

Fico d’India, Bouganville, Oleandro and Gelso - that retain the rustic charm of the typical whitewashed stone buildings of the Puglian countryside. They are totally independent, with well-equipped kitchen, large bedrooms, lounge and verandah or terrace, but each has its own personality so guests enjoy privacy and luxury while spending their free time exactly as they wish, allowing life’s natural rhythms to reassert their soothing effect. The dazzling white Casa Fico with its retro appeal, and the fresh, romantic Casa Bouganville are ideal for couples dreaming of somewhere faraway from the normal destinations, in a land rich in history and traditions, with sunshine, sea and relaxation. Casa Oleandro, bright and boasting a vaulted tuff stone ceiling, and Casa Gelso, which has retained the colours and atmosphere of Puglian tradition, are perfect for families looking for a seaside holiday close to nature and free from restrictive timetables. The Masseria San Nicola offers the unique feeling of being totally at home, while at the same time being able to enjoy the “made-to-measure” services of a luxury hotel, starting with the personalisable breakfasts - the crostate are simply too good to resist - or the shopping, in-villa chef, babysitting and dogsitting services. Not forgetting the wellbeing treatments and massages in the “Relax Room”. The complex nestles within a garden with two swimming pools, surrounded by walls in the traditional manner and redolent with the aromas of Mediterranean plants and flowers. The walls ensure privacy for all guests and safety for the smallest children, so parents can relax with total peace of mind. No wonder many young couples choose Masseria San Nicola as a venue for their wedding. The magical setting and skilfully-created design details make the day even more special - and the enchantment continues if the bride and groom choose to stay for two or three nights with their closest friends and family. www.masseriasannicolasavelletri.com

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AN ESTATE AT THE GATEWAY TO THE SALENTO TRANSFORMED INTO A GUESTHOUSE THAT RETAINS AN APPEAL OF SOBER ELEGANCE AND DEEPLY ROOTED LINKS WITH SURROUNDING REGION AND ITS TRADITIONS. NESTLING IN A MEDITERRANEAN GARDEN ONLY A FEW STEPS FROM THE SEA

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The air heavy with the aroma of spices, turquoise sky and sea, dazzling white sand and winds from Africa. This is Zanzibar by Teresa Crespi

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ZANZIBAR

ome say that the name Zanzibar comes from the Persian word zanj, meaning “black people”, so zang-i bar means “Land of Black People”, while others insist that it derives from the Arabic term zanjabil, ginger, one of the spices grown on the archipelago. Whatever the answer the aromas of pepper, cinnamon, cloves and ginger assail the senses, leaving an unforgettable sensory memory. And nobody can forget the island’s endless clean sandy beaches, waving palms, the colours of the sea and the kaleidoscope of flavours. In this corner of paradise on Zanzibar’s northeastern coast stands the enchanting Diamonds Star of the East resort, which occupies the extreme point in the region of Nungwi, on the coast of the Indian Ocean. It nestles in a typical African coastal landscape, among multicolour waters and powdery white sand, the natural lace filigrees of the coral reef and variegated tropical vegetation. The 138 luxurious rooms - Villa Club, Deluxe sea view and Suites - and the shared spaces reflect the character of the place itself, and everywhere you look are tropical gardens splashed with vivid colours. Superlative services complete the all-inclusive offer, providing a dream holiday with several

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IN ZANZIBAR THE AROMAS OF PEPPER, CINNAMON CLOVES AND GINGER ASSAIL THE SENSES, LEAVING AN UNFORGETTABLE SENSORY MEMORY. AND NOBODY CAN FORGET THE ISLAND’S ENDLESS CLEAN SANDY BEACHES, WAVING PALMS AND THE COLOURS OF THE SEA

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ZANZIBAR restaurants, some on the beach itself, plays of water in the large swimming pool and the sea and various water sports and games. Those seeking an exclusive holiday with an emphasis on privacy are also welcome here, and will choose to stay in the Villas of the Diamonds Star of the East rather than the resort. There are eleven of them, each boasting outdoor pool with hydromassage, furnished terrace where it’s possible to sit and watch the sun rise and set, and a lush tropical garden - all are all jewels framed by a natural setting. Every villa is named after one of the world’s most precious diamonds, and is furnished in a modern, contemporary fusion of African architectural styles. The exclusive services offered by the Diamonds Star of The East are complemented by the extensive range of facilities at the nearby Diamonds The Jewel of the East (both Planhotel Group resorts) where guests can enjoy a wide choice of restaurants and wellbeing and relaxation services. www.planhotel.com

THOSE SEEKING AN EXCLUSIVE HOLIDAY WITH AN EMPHASIS ON PRIVACY WILL CHOOSE TO STAY IN THE VILLAS OF THE DIAMONDS STAR OF THE EAST RATHER THAN THE RESORT

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LIVELY YET LAID BACK, IMPRESSIVELY LAVISH, YET EFFORTLESSLY HIP

The Address

Overlooking

the sparkling Dubai Marina and situated in one of Dubaiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most popular lifestyle districts, The Address Dubai Marina offers 200 guest rooms, 442 residences, 5 restaurants and lounges, an impeccably relaxing spa with a modern and expansive fitness facility open 24-hours along with a stunning Infinity pool.

T +971 4 436 7777 DUBAIMARINA@THEADDRESS.COM WWW.THEADDRESS.COM

DUBAI MARINA

style

by Beatrice Galbiati

Welcome spring! A journey among flowers, stripes, laces and perfumes. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s spring time and women are happy to revitalise their wardrobe

FERRETTI Earrings, belts and sandals enhance the delicate total look by Alberta Ferretti PERFUMES Rosa Nobile Special Edition 2016 is the new fragrance from Acqua di Parma, Miss Dior Blooming Bouquet by Christian Dior is a perfume for graceful, elegant women, and Acqua Allegoria-Pera Granita, a pear sorbet scent inspired by spring from Guerlainâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s latest collection

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FERRAGAMO Shocking colours for the dress and delicacy in the delicate earrings for spring by Ferragamo

GUCCI Lots of light, stripes and strong colours to accompany the GG Marmont Bag for Gucci

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MIU MIU Soft, delicate colours for the cream and lilac shoes by Miu Miu

LUISA BECCARIA Always intensely romantic, the Luisa Beccaria look recalls wisteria shades

BLUMARINE A teasing nude veil with bright, stylised blossoms by Blumarine PAULA CADEMARTORI A colourful cocktail of coral, turquoise and fuchsia for the Radical Collection bag by Paula Cademartori

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SS 2016 suggests a new way of style. Flowers and light colours also for this contemporary dandy

GUCCI An ultra-delicate sage green clothes the Gucci man, with cream flowers for the Nick suit and classic buckle for the moccasins

GIVENCHY Gentlemen Only is a wonderfully apt name for the woody fragrance from Givenchy, with its aromas of woodland and cedar

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style

Tiffany

Burberry

Miu Miu

Giorgio Armani

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Ray-Ban

Alain Mikli

Him and Her in a kaleidoscope of bright, colourful tones

Versace

Ralph Lauren

Polo

Persol

Prada

Dolce & Gabbana

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AMALFI

A 17th century convent restored to its original splendour on its clifftop eyrie, now a refined boutique hotel by Antonella Euli

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AMALFI

ianca Sharma, a Texan entrepreneur with German origins, immediately fell under the spell of the Amalfi Coast when at sea with friends. One glimpse and she was smitten by the magic of the Monastero Santa Rosa, then little more than a ruin. She bought the building and began a decadelong restoration project, so now the ancient structure dedicated to Santa Rosa da Lima has regained its original splendour, perched on its eyrie above the rocky shore, on the edge of a spectacular cliff at Conca dei Marini, between Amalfi and Positano. What used to be a place of prayer is now one of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most beautiful Hotel & Spa centres, a haven for guests in search of peace and tranquillity, and who want to spend a holiday with the emphasis on wellbeing, highlighted by a backdrop of Gregorian chant. The original nunsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; cells have been transformed into twelve rooms and eight suites with vaulted

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ceilings, named after the medicinal herbs cultivated in the convent garden. Every detail takes visitors back in time, from the antique objects to the bath salts produced by the Officina Profumo Farmaceutica of Santa Maria Novella. The spa, too, is redolent with an atmosphere of much older times. This microcosm dedicated to wellbeing, carved out of the heart of the rock, offers wellness, fitness and anti-aging treatments. The heart of the spa is the Thermal Suite, a combination of a Roman hot pool and oriental baths. Guests pass from the Stone Sauna to the herbal Turkish bath, experience showers and hydrotherapy pool, finishing in the Tepidarium. And in the Garden of Wellbeing, in the shade of an arbour looking out over the sea, guests can enjoy massages and a variety of other treatments, also as a couple. The beauty rituals use products by Florentine pharmaceutical house of Officina Profumo Farmaceutica di Santa Maria

HERE THE PHILOSOPHY OF LUXURY AND SIMPLICITY MAKES ITSELF FELT THROUGHOUT THE RESORT, INSIDE AND OUT

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AMALFI

OUTSIDE ARE THE WONDERS OF THE TERRACED GARDENS WITH FLOWERS AND HERBS, AND THE INFINITY POOL MERGING WITH THE SEA AND SKY

Novella, whose quality has been recognised since 1612. And finally we come to the cuisine offered in “Il Refettorio”. The restaurant has a Mediterranean heart, interpreted by acclaimed chef Bob Christof, the former right-hand man of Heinz Beck. The German chef and his international-quality brigade serve creative dishes that remain deeply rooted in the values of the local cuisine. They use a great deal of local produce, some from the convent’s own gardens or the nearby Tyrrhenian Sea. The outstanding wine list includes labels from emerging estates on the Amalfi coast. monasterosantarosa.com 66

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OBJECTS

First impressions count most, and that applies to hotels, too. So close attention to the lobby, where the right furnishings can inspire love at first sight, will pay off

by Marta Bernasconi

1. THIS REFINED TONE ON TONE DAMASK IS ONE OF THE NEW WALL COVERINGS FROM THE J&V 141 COLLECTION BY JANNELLI & VOLPI. AVAILABLE IN ROLLS, IT IS MADE IN A VINYL MATERIAL ON A PAPER BASE. 2. SOFTHOUSE PRESENTS THE MADAME SOFA - THREE PLACES, GENEROUS, COMFY CUSHIONS, COTTON VELVET AND WOOL

UPHOLSTERY. DESIGN MEETS SARTORIAL QUALITY.

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5. THE VERONICA HANGING LAMP WITH DECORATIVE BRASS ELEMENTS FORMS PART OF THE NOTORIUS COLLECTION, AND IS INSPIRED BY THE DECORATIVE TASTES

OF THE 1940S. BY MARIONI

3. ADEMAR TABLES AND COFFEE TABLE BY BROSS. THE CIRCULAR OR ELLIPTICAL SURFACES ARE SUPPORTED BY SOLID WOODEN LEGS THAT SEEM TO BE A

NATURAL EXTENSION OF THE TOP. 4. IMAGO IS THE UNUSUAL TABLE-SEAT BY LIVING DIVANI. ITS SHAPED SURFACE, PART SMOOTH AND PART PADDED, ENHANCES THE BEAUTY OF THE WOOD.

6. COMFORT ACCORDING TO THE STUDIO DIMORE COLLECTION MEANS FURNITURE AND ACCESSORIES IN A VINTAGE AND CONTEMPORARY STYLE, TAKING IN DIFFERENT PERIODS AND MATERIALS.

7. FIRST CAME THE INSPIRATION, OBSERVING THE PETALS OF A TULIP FLOWER, THEN THE CREATION OF ODEA, AN ARMCHAIR BY ROCHE BOBOIS WITH GENEROUS PADDING AND SOLID BEECH BASE.

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OBJECTS 1

1. FROM ASTON MARTIN INTERIORS, THE V083 WALL BOOKCASE, AVAILABLE IN MATT SILVER LACQUER FINISH WITH ALUTIX DRAWERS OF GLOSSY BLACK LACQUER AND LEATHER-PANNELLED DRAWERS. FEATURES AN LED LIGHT SYSTEM.

A GLASS TABLE LIKE A

2. TABLE LAMP OR SCULPTURE? TOTEM IS

DISPLAY CABINET HOSTS

BOTH. MADE IN MARBLE SO EACH ONE HAS

THE ARABESQUE LED

DIFFERENT VEINING AND THICKNESS.

LAMP WITH CRYSTALS

BY CITCO.

ON A STEEL BASE.

3. MOLTENI&C PRESENTS ASTERIAS,

DESIGN AND LUXURY AS

A LACQUERED OR WOOD VENEERED

SEEN BY VG NEW TREND.

SCULPTURE TABLE. THE BASE COMPRISES SIX CURVED WOODEN ELEMENTS, WHILE THE TOP FEATURES A ROUNDED EDGE.

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4 4. NEW DESIGNS FROM ALIVAR INCLUDE THE SIRIO SERIES OF SIDE AND COFFEE TABLES. THE LEGS ARE IN ALUMINIUM, THE FRAME IN STAINLESS STEEL WITH A VARIETY OF FINISHES AND THE TOP IS IN HEAT-TREATED OAK, MDF OR MARBLE. 5. A REFINED OPTICAL EFFECT IS THE HALLMARK OF EMPIRE, THE WOOL AND SILK VEGETABLE-DYED CARPET BY ILLULIAN. HAND-KNOTTED USING ANCIENT ARTISANAL TECHNIQUES. 6. BANGKOK IS A COLLECTION OF POUFFES BY FLEXFORM. WOOD AND METAL STRUCTURE, REMOVABLE FABRIC OR LEATHER UPHOLSTERY. THE WOVEN LEATHER VERSION (NOT REMOVABLE)

IS ESPECIALLY STRIKING.

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A new luxury hotel opens its doors on one of Milanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most elegant streets in the heart of the city. An essential destination for any lover of Italian style and design seeking a superlative welcome by Marta Bernasconi

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DESIGN HOTEL

here’s a quintessentially Milanese atmosphere in the via Andegari, the street that hosts the new Mandarin Oriental. It’s in the heart of the city’s most elegant district, a stone’s throw from Duomo the and the La Scala theatre. Here, the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group found the ideal building for creating a new centre of excellence. The hotel is the former Palazzo Confalonieri, a city residence dating back to the 18th century. It housed a city tax office between 1930 and 1950 and was taken over for offices by a large bank in the 1960s. An eventful past and illustrious history, which now sees the opening of a prestigious new chapter. The renovation project was designed and supervised by Antonio Citterio, an internationally-renowned architect who also has strong links with Milan. In fact the design and choice of colours and materials were inspired by the layout

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and decoration of the traditional “dimora milanese”, although Citterio has given them his own very personal twist, introducing a concept of rigorous design with no decorative excess. The building’s history and the architect’s ability to recreate it and remain faithful to its roots mean that the Mandarin Oriental is also a cultural destination - its interiors are contemporary, but create the impression of living in the style of the aristocratic citizens whose residence represented the very essence of Milan.

MANDARIN ORIENTAL HOTEL, MILAN VIA ANDEGARI, 9 ROOMS 72, SUITES 32, “SETA” RESTAURANT 1 MICHELIN STAR. MANDARIN BAR. BOTH WITH OPENAIR AREAS, SPA AND FITNESS 900 SQM AREA

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DESIGN HOTEL

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IN THE HEART OF TOWN, THE MANDARIN ORIENTAL HOTEL GROUP FOUND THE IDEAL BUILDING FOR CREATING A NEW CENTER OF EXELLENCE DESIGNED BY ANTONIO CITTERIO PATRICIA VIEL INTERIORS

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THE PROJECT WAS DEVELOPED BY AN ARCHITECT FROM GRANADA, JESÚS DEL VALLE, AND THE ESTATE GRADUALLY TOOK ON ITS PRESENT SHAPE. IN 1992 ITS HUGE SUCCESS ENABLED THE HOTEL TO JOIN THE INTERNATIONAL CHAIN OF THE LEADING HOTELS OF THE WORLD.

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Barcelò La Bobadilla was once a small village, now it’s one of Spain’s most spellbinding hotels

by Antonella Euli

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ANDALUSIA

THE ORIGINAL PLAN OF BARCELÒ LA BOBADILLA INCLUDED A LUXURIOUS RESTAURANT THAT RESPECTED THE ENVIRONMENT AND WHERE THE ARCHITECTURE EXPRESSED A BLEND OF THE DIFFERENT CULTURES THAT HAVE INFLUENCED ANDALUSIA

e’re in the Loja region, in the heart of Andalusia, in a landscape of gently rolling hills. Here a small country village became a high quality hotel - the Barcelò Hotel & Resort. Seventy rooms, all different, make up an exclusive resort nestling among olive groves on a 350-hectare estate where relaxation is the order of the day. Over the past thirty years celebrities and artists have sought refuge and inspiration here, relaxing alongside members of several royal families, seduced by the influence of its Moorish past, in a corner of the world where time seems to stand still. Every effort has been made to respect the surrounding countryside, and the hotel emphasises the sustainability of its presence - for example, its energy is provided by olive stones processed in the estate’s own biomass generator. Over the years it has become a worldwide icon of the Slow Travel concept, also offering a range of activities including cookery courses and creative workshops that communicate

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ANDALUSIA

THE HOTEL IS A STANDARD BEARER FOR THE SLOW TRAVEL CONCEPT IN SPAIN, A FACT REFLECTED BY THE ACTIVITIES OFFERED, INCLUDING COOKERY COURSES AND CREATIVE WORKSHOPS

this spirit, a new trend that encourages travellers to relax and develop a deep connection with the surrounding environment. To provide guests with an all-embracing sensory adventure the hotel has also designed five unique experiences to create a symbiosis between guests and the hotel’s natural setting, its ecology and the local food and wine. All of the resort’s gastronomic spaces offer a different experience, with two elements in common - exceptional quality and the relaxing atmosphere of a small Andalusian village. Lunch in the church courtyard, dinner with a view of the olive trees, a gourmet tasting menu or a romantic dinner under the stars there is something for all tastes and the two restaurants, La Finca and il Cortijo cater for every guest and palate. www.barcelolabobadilla.com

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WHEN AN IDEA BECOMES REALITY AND INTUITION TURNS INTO EMOTION AN INTERNATIONAL MAGAZINE DEDICATED TO YACHT, DESIGN AND LIFESTYLE

The Art of Sailing

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AIR

Double beds, posh menus, LCD screens and even a spa. The worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most exclusive first class offer for flyers unwilling to compromise on comfort and luxury even ten miles high, but without the disadvantages of a private jet by Valeria Rastrelli

ETIHAD AIRWAYS, LIMOUSINES OF THE SKY

he UAE flagship airline is revolutionising travel with a series of luxurious comforts, starting with a stay in The Residence on board the new A380s, a private 12 sqm cabin hosting up to two people and offering a lounge area, a separate area with double bed and a bathroom with shower. Luxury bedlinen, nightwear, a Flying Butler and private chef are available throughout the flight. First Class is also redefined by the launch of nine aircraft apartments with sliding doors, reclining seats and a Poltrona Frau sofa that transforms into a two-metre bed, and exclusive use of a bathroom with fully-equipped shower. The B787s, though, offer eight first class suites with Poltrona Frau armchair and sofa. The central armrests retract and the suites can be joined up to form a double bed. www.etihad.com

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WITH CATHAY, LUXURY BEGINS IN THE AIRPORT WITH LOUNGES RESERVED FOR ITS PASSENGERS AND ETIHAD IS REVOLUTIONING TRAVEL WITH A SERIES OF LUXURIOUS COMFORTS

CATHAY PACIFIC AIRWAYS FOR WELL-BEING

ulti Skytrax World Airline award winner, the airline stakes everything on well-being, on board its planes and on the ground. In the air its First Class - available on flights to and from Milan Malpensa - has been revamped by London studio Foster + Partners, also responsible for the design of the Cathay lounge at Hong Kong airport. The suite, decorated with sculptural works by Maria Lobo and Linda Leviton, includes new furnishing elements like the more ergonomic dining table, more compartments in the wardrobe and a larger tray for personal effects. The side table and seat interior are upholstered in leather in warm colours, and an LCD touchscreen with controls

makes it easier to recline the seat (which transforms into a horizontal surface and has a thicker mattress for enhanced comfort), adjust the lumbar support and switch on the lights. Duvets, pillows, cushions, mattress and bedlinen are in organic cotton, and are complemented by an amenity kit containing natural beauty products. But with Cathay, luxury begins in the airport with lounges reserved for its passengers. In the Hong Kongâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Wing, for example, passengers can wait for their flight in one of five Cabanas, sanctuaries of relaxation with shower, bath and sofas to enjoy in total privacy. www.cathaypacific.com

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AIR

THE FIVE-STAR SERVICES TRANSFORM AN OCEAN FLY-OVER INTO AN UNFORGETTABLE EXPERIENCE, USUALLY ONLY FOUND ON PRIVATE JETS

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WONDER CORTINA SYSTEM

MAGAZINE

EVENTS

summer

winter

summer

winter

TELEVISION

Via Passione, 3 - 20122 Milano Tel. +39 02 36683420 r.a.

www.platinummedialab.com

CHANNEL

Two wonderful golf courses with 18 holes, one that smells of wine the other of the sea by Valeria Rastrelli

TEE OFF AMONG THE VINEYARDS

GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB CASTELLO DI SPESSA, DOMINATED BY THE ELEGANT PROFILE OF THE CASTELLO DI SPESSA IT TAKES ITS NAME FROM. ON THE OTHER PAGES, LEFT THE SAME LOCATION; RIGHT SAN DOMENICO GOLF AND THE MASSERIA DI CIMINO

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This unusual golf course was created by architect Giacomo Cabrini in 2004. It winds through the heart of the Collio hills, among the vineyards of Castello di Spessa at Capriva del Friuli, Gorizia. The original version was redesigned in 2010 and opened in 2011 with the addition of two new holes and a putt and pitch green next to the driving range to complete the Academy Area. These modifications have transformed the course, making it even more technical and spectacular. Now the Golf & Country Club Castello di Spessa welcomes golfers from Italy, Austria, Germany, Slovenia and Croatia, drawn by the charms of the destination and the mild climate, which allows them to play even during the colder months. The eighteen holes are named after the estateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wines, and no two fairways have the same shape or structure. The course

is dominated by the elegant profile of the Castello di Spessa it takes its name from, nestling in the lush vegetation of a centuries-old park. The manor, which dates back to the 13th century, has links to noble houses and illustrious guests, but now hosts fifteen elegant suites with Italian and Central European furniture from the 18th and 19th century. Deep inside its interior is the ancient, picturesque del Collio cellar, where the estateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s prized vintages are allowed to age. After restoration the old inn of the manor estate became the Tavernetta al Castello, with a famous fine food restaurant and ten rooms with a country chic appeal. The Club House is in an ancient farm building, with a shaded terrace giving onto the garden and golf course. The menu offered by its restaurant, the Hosteria del Castello (also open to non-golfers) follows the seasons and reflects local tastes and flavours, with an outstanding selection of cold meats and Friulian cheeses. The resort offer is completed by La Boatina, a country inn with five B&B rooms and the small La Saletta del Gusto restaurant, the ideal venue for informal gourmet dinners featuring local dishes. www.castellodispessa.it

A GREEN BETWEEN SEA AND OLIVE TREES Take a passion for golf, an enchanted landscape, an ancient viewing tower, olive groves and the sea. The result of this unlikely combination is the San Domenico Golf and the Masseria di Cimino. Both destinations lie just a few kilometres from Brindisi, in the town of Savelletri di Fasano, and when theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not on the fairways, golf fans relax at the Masseria. The course itself overlooks the sea and is surrounded by olive groves and the cultivated fields it was carved out of. The land used to be flat, but now its offers a spectacular eighteen holes with breathtaking views of the Adriatic. Designed by star architects of the sector, it measures

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GOLF

WHAT CAN TWO GOLF COURSES HAVE IN COMMON, ONE IN THE NORTH AND THE OTHER IN THE SOUTH EXCEPT EIGHTEEN HOLES? THE DIFFERENCE LIES IN THE SPECTACULAR SETTING THAT FRAMES THEM - ONE AMONG GRAPEVINES, THE OTHER SOURROUNDED BY OLIVE TREES OVERLOOKING THE SEA

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over 6,300 metres (6,677 yards), has a 72-stroke par and is laid out to the highest standards, its greens in line with USGA specifications. The sea breeze often plays an important role during matches, and together with the strategicallyplaced bunkers, well prepared fairways and skilfully-designed greens it provides a demanding challenge even for expert golfers. A spell of relaxation is the order of the day after such an intense round, and the Masseria Cimino, surrounded by centuries-old olive groves and vegetable gardens, provides the ideal solution. Entirely restructured in 2005 using the same materials, shapes and colours as the original, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s now a jewel of hospitality. The bright, white walls are decorated with antique tools, flowers and vegetable plants olives, cacti, tomatoes - typical of the lands of Puglia, which become

design pieces. The fifteen rooms - some in the ancient red tower in the farm buildings facing the archaeological site of Egnazia - are furnished in a Mediterranean style, and some look onto the golf course to give all fans of the sport the feeling they are always part of the action. Here Puglian cuisine reigns supreme - and never disappoints. And neither do the bike rides among the olive trees or swimming in the little pool, set in stone, immersed in the greenery that enfolds the Masseria. And finally, for guests seeking a little me-time and the opportunity to try some of the many available services that soothe the spirit and help them rediscover their real self, the Borgo Egnaziaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Vair spa and the Thalassotherapy centre of the exclusive Masseria San Domenico are just nearby. www.masseriacimino.com

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SAILING THE CINQUE TERRE One of the most beautiful yet least-known corners of Italy is best enjoyed by sailing along the coastline

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CRUISE

by Andrea Pezzini

ith the kids let out of school for this year’s Easter holidays and the promise of good weather I decided to treat my family to a voyage to my native region. We left Zugo canton in Switzerland for Portofino, where we boarded the wonderful Ocean Pearl, a 42-metre yacht located by Floating Life Charter & Brokerage, the charter company that usually helps us find the ideal yacht for our holidays. I took advantage of the road trip to regale my family - for the hundredth time - with descriptions of the natural beauty we were about to experience, embellishing my account with happy childhood memories. To me the Cinque Terre are one of the most beautiful yet least-known corners of Italy, and they can be appreciated to the full by sailing along the coast. We arrived in Portofino, where the captain and crew met us and relieved us of our suitcases. Floating Life Concierge had advised us to make a short visit to the church of San Giorgio, which stands on the promontory from where it’s possible to look out onto the open sea. They had also reserved the best table for us at the Puny in Portofino’s square. We spent the night on board and in the morning we

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left port early to begin our voyage down the Cinque Terre. The morning air, still fresh and bracing, stung our faces but the sun promised a hot day along a breathtaking landscape. We had breakfast in the open-air cockpit, enjoying the rocky cliffs overlooking the sea, and after two hours under way we arrived at Monterosso. Here we took the yacht’s JP RIBS tender to the beginning of our land excursion, the “Sentiero Azzurro” or Blue Trail, a two-hour walk from Monterosso to Riomaggiore. The tender then wafted us back on board off Riomaggiore, where the chef had prepared fresh fish. We then repaired to the flybridge for some sunbathing in the afternoon heat, riding at anchor in the bay. We spent Easter Sunday anchored between Riomaggiore and Portovenere. In the morning my wife and I slept in, while the kids were already up and about on wakeboards or windsurfing, supervised and instructed by the crew, one of whose members was a wakeboard instructor - this had been one of our requests to Floating Life when choosing our yacht. Our chef helped us celebrate Easter with a lunch of typical Ligurian fruit, Tuscan savoury Easter pies, a local Easter-tide chocolate rice cake and a big Easter egg.

THE LOVELY 42-METRE YACHT OCEAN PEARL, IDEAL FOR A CRUISE TO THE CINQUE TERRE. IT’S ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL YET LEAST-KNOWN CORNERS OF ITALY, AND CAN BE FULLY APPRECIATED BY SAILING ALONG THE COAST

We spent the day relaxing on board, pampered by the crew. On Monday morning we reached Portovenere, anchoring at Palmari island. Here our tender carried us over to the “Le Bocche” restaurant, with places already reserved by our concierge service. As the day was particularly hot we decided to take the tender and go for a swim at Palmaria, taking advantage of the Cala Grande on the south of the island. As evening approached we returned to Porto Lotti, spending the last night on board. Tuesday morning, still relaxed and happy after our lovely weekend, we boarded a minivan to Portofino to collect our car and drive back to Switzerland. My senses were filled with the sights, aromas and tastes of my native region, and I basked in the pleasure of having introduced my family to the fantastic places of my childhood.

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SICILY

From the Baroque to chocolate, via good food and fine wines. More museums, Sicilian carts and famous names, plus an ancient manor transformed into a Hotel de Charme by Antonella Euli and Marina Moioli

IN THE CITIES OF THE BAROQUE, THE BUILDINGS ARE DECORATED LIKE PRECIOUS PIECES OF LACE, SHAPED BY THE SKILFUL HANDS OF ARTISANS WHO GAVE FREE REIN TO THEIR IMAGINATIONS TO CREATE A UNIQUE SETTING AGAINST THE BACKDROP OF LIGHT CHALK ROCK, PAINTED IN WARM PINK TONES BY THE SETTING SUN

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his large island cannot really be described in just a few pages. Sicily is an ancient land, rich in history and culture, offering a huge selection of unique archaeological sites, beaches, cities of art and a handful of archipelagos and small islands standing guard around them. We chose to explore Sicily at its most intimate, taking in the cities of the Baroque, from Noto to Ragusa, and the gastronomic centres where visitors can enjoy indescribably wonderful confectionery and pastries. A treat for the eyes and the palate. Then there’s the chocolate of Modica, in itself worth the journey to this part of Sicily. Here the buildings are decorated like precious pieces of lace, shaped by the skilful hands of artisans who gave free rein to their imagination to create a unique setting against the backdrop of light chalk rock, painted in warm pink tones by the setting sun. The city is so precious that it has been named a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This tour of beauty and flavours has to start at Noto, described as the capital of the Baroque, but it’s also the “Stone Garden” that casts an immediate spell over anyone setting foot there - a Baroque treasure chest, culminating in the spectacular staircase up to the cathedral. Baroque art has also left its mark on Modica, although it’s the city’s chocolate that has made it famous around the world. Nearby Pachino, on the other hand, is known for its PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) tomatoes. Between a taste of the local chocolate with chili pepper and a glass of the chocolate liqueur, when visiting Modica it’s also well worth going to see its magnificent churches, especially the Church of San Giorgio, an eighteenth-century cathedral that is one of the island’s most beautiful examples of the Baroque style. The Church of San Pietro, the city’s other cathedral, is also a striking structure. Modica and Noto vie for the title of the most beautiful city of the Sicilian Baroque. Set among the Hyblaean Mountains, its alleyways are heavy with the sensual aroma of artisanal chocolate and mustazzola, biscuits made with honey and almonds. On via Posterla, in the shadow of the castle and clock tower, stands another compelling destination, the house where Salvatore Quasimodo was born, with the rooms and mementoes recalling this holder of the Nobel Prize for literature. And when the sun begins to sink towards the horizon, make your way up to Ragusa. Viewed from ancient Ibla, the oldest part of the city, the sunset is the final masterpiece of a magical, immortal Sicily. www.regione.sicilia.it/turismo

PINO AND HIS WIFE LOREDANA WERE BOTH BORN HERE AND CHOSE TO RETURN. THEY OPENED THEIR RESTAURANT IN 2000 AND GAVE IT ITS NAME BECAUSE AT ONE TIME GOOD, NATURAL THINGS WERE STORED IN A CUPBOARD CALLED THE “MADIA”

Davide Dutto Fotografo

DINING AT THE LA MADIA DI LICATA ON THE SICILIAN COAST, AGAINST THE BACKGROUND OF THE BAROQUE OF RAGUSA AND THE TEMPLES OF AGRIGENTO The stars light up Sicily. The number of Michelin-starred restaurants is growing, enhancing the island’s reputation as a gourmet paradise. One example is La Madia Di Pino Cuttaia in Licata, on the Sicilian coast between the Baroque of Ragusa and the temples of Agrigento. Though Licata is off the beaten track for tourists, it should be visited despite its inaccessibility. If not for La Madia and Pino Cuttaia, it may well have remained cut off from island life. Pino and his wife Loredana were both born here and chose to return. They opened their restaurant in 2000 and gave it its name because at one time good, natural things were stored in a cupboard called the “madia”. Despite the illustrious accolades, the key theme is simplicity, inspiring a new interpretation of tradition where long-established dishes take on a new form. “One of my most important utensils is my memory. Every one of my dishes contains at least a pinch of memories, and through its simplicity I try to tell a story. Techniques that recall childhood games and episodes of daily life bring to life black and white postcard images that depict a bright, happy Sicily. I try to give classic recipes a new shape so people can rediscover everything tradition has given us”. www.ristorantelamadia.it

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SLEEPING IN AN ANCIENT MANOR HOUSE IN THE HEART OF THE VAL DI NOTO We’re in the heart of the Val di Noto, guests at the Masseria della Volpe, a late 19th century building transformed into a Relais de Charme. It’s quiet and relaxed here, the farms reflect the island’s typical agricultural structure in materials and shapes, and when the sun is high in the sky the soil takes on the colours of North Africa and the sea sparkles on the horizon - but sunset clothes all this in gold. The estate’s rural spirit is also expressed through the traditional Sicilian dishes served in the restaurant, made with local products. The farm contributes organic ingredients, including olive oil produced on the estate. This is also the starting point for exploring a magical land. You can start with the Etna trail, then go on to visit nature and wildlife reserves like the Vendicari, see the Alcantara gorges or go as far as the Torrente Cava Grande, with the island’s largest canyon, studded with crystal lakes. Not far from “home” we can find untouched beaches and rocks like Calamosche or Portopalo di Capo Passero, and cities of art full of Baroque treasures like Noto, Ragusa Ibla, Modica and Scicli. www.masseriadellavolpe.it

MASSERIA DELLA VOLPE, A LATE 19TH CENTURY BUILDING, HAS BEEN TRANSFORMED INTO A RELAIS DE CHARME THAT REFLECT THE ISLAND’S TYPICAL AGRICULTURAL STRUCTURES

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SICILY

DREAMING WITH MARIONETTES, SICILIAN CARTS AND FRIDGES “Sicily is Italy. In fact, it’s Italy cubed!” said Pietro Germi. It’s a sentiment shared by Domenico Dolce from Polizzi Generosa and Stefano Gabbana from Milano, who have the island in their DNA. They have followed different paths, but are united by a vision of innovative fashion and exquisitely feminine women. The marked Sicilian influences form a sensual matrix that hovers between the sacred and the profane and black reigns supreme. The black bras and dresses like the slips worn by the Sicilian neorealist divas, and black like the women’s hair and eyes. Their past campaigns, too, in black and white - unsettling images of of Mediterranean women shot by exceptional photographers. Now they have changed register, and black is joined by a torrent of colours, especially in the accessories. An allegory of small objects - candles, frames, jewellery boxes, notebooks - make up the Carretto collection. The Carretto is the typical Sicilian cart, and this icon of Italian folklore could be described as the quintessential symbol of a much-loved Sicily. Now it is joined by other motifs in the collection. The Sicilian cartwheel and the marionette theatre, its stage crowded with mediaeval ladies and knights, are constant elements in the Dolce&Gabbana aesthetic. And as “Women live from more than fashion alone”, there’s a special edition of the SMEG FAB28 fridge, “clothed” by Dolce&Gabbana - a sumptuous work of art, almost a salon piece. Only 100 are to be produced, and the first examples will feature at the next Salone del Mobile in Milan, painted by Sicilian artists with the island’s typical decorative subjects, from lemons to knights, triangles and cartwheels - the brand’s symbolic motifs. www.dolcegabbana.it

AN ALLEGORY OF SMALL OBJECTS MAKE UP THE CARRETTO COLLECTION. IN TRIBUTE TO THE TYPICAL SICILIAN CART, AN ICON OF ITALIAN FOLKLORE THAT COULD BE DESCRIBED AS THE QUINTESSENTAL SYMBOL OF A MUCH-LOVED SICILY

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SICILY

THE HOME-MUSEUM RETAINS ALL THE CHARM OF A BYGONE ERA, THANKS TO THE PERIOD FURNISHINGS AND THE MANY MEMENTOES OF THE GREAT REALIST WRITER

IN THE HOME OF GIOVANNI VERGA On the second floor of a lovely residence in Catania that dates back to the late 18th century, at via Sant’Anna 8, a stone’s throw from the Baroque Piazza Duomo, are the rooms where Giovanni Verga spent the greatest part of his life. Reopened after a long restoration on 8 March this year, the home-museum retains all the charm of a bygone era, thanks to the period furnishings and the many mementoes of the great realist writer. The visit begins at the entrance, with the desk the artists used during his stay in Milan, then enters the drawing room and library. This room hosts a large table, six carved walnut bookcases holding over two thousand books and a portrait of the writer by Amedeo Bianchi. One of the three cupboards in the dining room contains a concealed dumb waiter with bell, connected to the kitchen on the floor above, the only luxury in a jealously-guarded bachelor existence. In the bedroom visitors can admire the iron bedstead and family portraits and photos. The main attraction, though, is that as you walk around the rooms of the Verga home-museum, a place where everything evokes the writer’s personal connections and everyday life, it’s still possible to breathe the spirited atmosphere of 18th and 19th century Catania, when it was populated by great artists, poets and composers. Tel. 095.7150598

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THERE ARE BUBBLES HERE, TOO There’s a place in southern Sicily where innovation and tradition merge to create winemaking excellence - the Azienda Agricola G. Milazzo in Licata was founded in the 1960s, and is still driven by the passion and energy of Giuseppina Milazzo and her husband Saverio Lo Leggio. For them, producing wine is a family affair, one that has led them to become one of Sicily’s major Spumante producers using the metodo classico. Their vineyards cover an area of around five square kilometres called the Terre della Baronia, with a variety of terrains and microclimates, comprising eight districts split into subdivisions so vineyard, variety and product can be precisely identified. The selected grapes - Nero d’Avola, Nero Cappuccio and Perricone for the reds, Inzolia and Catarratto Lucido for the whites, Chardonnay and Inzolia for the metodo classico – give rise to stupendous wines. The Milazzo’s philosophy is based on artisanal winemaking techniques backed by a knowledge of the soil, vines and manual production methods. A pioneer of organic agriculture, among the first to try the spumante method in Sicily and committed to restoring old varieties, the estate is now recognised as one of the island’s most prestigious winemaking centres and has won over 270 accolades in the world’s major winemaking competitions, including the “Premio Speciale Gran Vinitaly 2015”, the most important award at the 22nd Vinitaly International Winemaking Competition. www.milazzovini.com

FOR MILAZZO, PRODUCING WINE IS A FAMILY AFFAIR, ONE THAT HAS LED THEM TO BECOME ONE OF SICILY’S MAJOR SPUMANTE PRODUCERS USING THE METODO CLASSICO

ITALIAN CHEFS

Hotel stellar cuisine Sometimes a restaurant isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t big enough to conatin an explosion of creativity - the alternative is the kitchen of a large hotel by Antonella Euli

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hese days haute cuisine - with one or more Michelin stars, in other words - is taking a new turn and finding a home in hotels. Ones with plenty of stars themselves, obviously! It’s happening throughout Italy, from north to south. We take a look at three examples in a virtual journey of flavours, starting in Bolzano, followed by the obligatory sojourn in Rome then south towards Vesuvius, in search of our great culinary talents.

HOTEL HASSLER, ROME. RISTORANTE IMAGO, CHEF FRANCESCO APREDA Ever since the Hassler opened its doors in 1893 it has held the coveted position of Rome’s most prestigious hotel, commanding one of the most exclusive views in the world over the Eternal City. The Hassler is owned by President and Managing Director Roberto E. Wirth, fifth generation of the famous Swiss family of hoteliers who became co-owners of the hotel with the Hasslers in the 1920s. Mr. Wirth, a passionate collector of art and fine wines, welcomes guests as he would in his own home, with consideration and care. Imàgo, his 6th floor panoramic gourmet restaurant, represents the philosophy of the Hassler Roma - a place where vision and taste intertwine to offer a unique experience of creative Italian cuisine. Francesco Apreda’s menus vary according to the season to offer his clients different yet refined tastes. The variety of what he presents is designed for all palates, with an explosion of flavours that include refined combinations side by side with traditional Italian cuisine, characterized by the ingredients and fragrances embedded within Italy’s rich history and culture. www.imagorestaurant.com

IMAGO REPRESENTS THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE HASSLER ROMA, A PLACE WHERE VISION AND TASTE INTERTWINE TO OFFER A UNIQUE EXPERIENCE OF CREATIVE ITALIAN CUISINE. FRANCESCO APREDA’S MENUS VARY ACCORDING TO THE SEASON TO OFFER HIS CLIENTS DIFFERENT YET REFINED TASTES

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ITALIAN CHEFS

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RELAIS DON ALFONSO, SANT’AGATA SUI DUE GOLFI NAPOLI, CHEF ALFONSO IACCARINO People come to the Penisola Sorrentina from all over the world to enjoy its culinary masterpieces. Their destination is Sant’Agata sui Due Golfi and the Iaccarino family’s two Michelin star Don Alfonso 1890 restaurant. Alfonso, the host, and his wife Lidia made a clear choice to give preference to local ingredients and cooking methods as the basis for culinary creations that are rich in technique and imagination. No surprise, then, that the menu includes this quote from Eduardo De Filippo: “If we use tradition as a trampoline, it’s obvious we’ll jump much higher”. Encouraged by this belief, Alfonso and Lidia created the La Peracciole organic farm. Here they produce a much sought-after extra virgin olive oil and most of the fruit and vegetables used in the kitchen along with products from small cheese and pasta makers. Try the water and flour

Ravioli with caciotta cheese, basil and tomato, the rigatoni Vesuvio, the red mullet with powdered capers and wild rocket or the glazed rabbit with verbena aubergine. The desserts are equally delicious - Baba with zabaglione allo spumante, Sfogliatella napoletana with a wild cherry sauce or the superfine lemon ice. This temple of fine food - which also offers cookery courses - provides accommodation in eight suites with a Relais atmosphere. Guests can also enjoy a lovely garden with swimming pool. www.donalfonso.com

PEOPLE COME TO PENISOLA SORRENTINA FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD TO ENJOY ITS CULINARY MASTERPIECES. THEIR DESTINATION IS SANT’AGATA SUI DUE GOLFI AND THE IACCARINO FAMILY’S TWO MICHELIN STAR DON ALFONSO 1890 RESTAURANT. THIS TEMPLE OF FINE FOOD PROVIDES ACCOMODATION IN EIGHT SUITES WITH A RELAIS ATMOSPHERE

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ITALIAN CHEFS

IACCARINO FAMILY IN LEMON GROVE. OPPOSIT PAGE, REIMUND BRUNNER IS THE CREATIVE CHEF AT THE ANNA STUBEN RESTAURANT, THE FIRST IN THE VAL GARDENA TO BE AWARDED A MICHELIN STAR, OFFERING GOURMET DISHES THAT COMBINE TRADITION AND REINTERPRETATION TO CREATE A REFINED GASTRONOMIC EXPERIENCE

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HOTEL GARDENA, ORTISEI, BOLZANO CHEF REIMUND BRUNNER The Gardena di Ortisei, a top-class 5-star hotel in the Dolomites that forms part of the prestigious Relais & Ch창teaux group, has been given an extensive revamp. New facilities include the welcome area, spa and rooms in classic yet contemporary Alpine style with lots of natural wood and warm colours creating a welcoming, intimate atmosphere. The Anna Stuben restaurant also has a new look - it was the first in the Val Gardena to be awarded a Michelin star, offering gourmet dishes that combine tradition and reinterpretation to create a refined gastronomic experience. Chef Reimund Brunner has won over the most demanding palates, and gourmets now praise his modern, innovative and imaginative cooking, based on excellent raw materials. His menu embodies an encounter of flavours from the Mediterranean and the Alto Adige region, a mix of Italian imagination and prime local ingredients, prepared and served using modern methods and techniques. His dishes are creative and balanced - surprising and delicate flavours that often inspire new emotions. www.gardena.it

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THINGS TO From Made in Italy caviar to the azaleas of the Villa Carlotta, from the Royal

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SEE IN ITALY

by Maria Carolina Giupponi

Palace of Caserta to Mantova, stopping off for some luxury shopping in Milan

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BEST OF ITALY

CAVIALI CALVISIUS IS AN HAUTE COUTURE COLLECTION OF RARE PEALS FROM PURE BRED STURGEONS THAT YIELD SEVERAL TYPES OF PERFECTLY SPHERICAL ROE WITH A REFINED TASTE. OPPOSITE PAGE, FRANCIACORTA IS THE HOME OF GREAT WINES THAT CAN BE EXPLORED BY TAKING THE WINE ROAD

GOURMET PEARLS We are always in search of excellence. This time we’re in the Brescia district, in Viadana di Calvisano, where there’s an aroma of caviar in the air. The company producing it is called Agroittica Lombarda and its sturgeon farming lies at the origins of the Caviali Calvisius collection ( the ancient Latin name for Calvasino). This is haute couture of rare pearls from pure bred sturgeons that yield several types of perfectly spherical roe with a refined taste - Tradition, large, dark grey eggs, De Venise, with an intense aroma and iodine-tinged taste, the Oscietra Classic, with a crisp taste and solid consistency and Oscietra Royal, with a delicate aroma and hazelnut notes. Then the special series - Beluga, with its large eggs, the Oscietra Imperial, light brown eggs with a “long” taste, the new and intense Da Vinci and the limited edition Elite, one of the world’s top caviars, using only the finest white sturgeon eggs. And the latest in this gourmet offer, often said to be as precious as gold, the Lingotto di Caviale Calvisius, to slice in the same way as a truffle. www.calvisius.com

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THE WINE ROAD Not far from Lake Iseo lies a wonderful stretch of gentle countryside, loved by many. Franciacorta, the home of great wines, can be explored by taking the Wine Road. This follows a long trail that starts from Mandolossa, on the outskirts of Brescia, then continues to Cellatica, the most ancient winemaking area, and the hills of Monticelli Brusati, eventually arriving at Erbusco, the production centre for the Franciacorta region. The road winds through jewel-like landscapes rich in history and precious artistic buildings that host a series of cellars, some famous, some not so well-known. The purpose of the Wine Road is to highlight and preserve the winemaking culture by making the local wine and products symbols of excellence for the region. The Franciacorta road includes cellars, agritourism farms, bed & breakfast accommodation, museums, distilleries, wine shops, golf clubs, riding centres and much more. www.stradadelfranciacorta.it

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IF YOU CAN DREAM IT, YOU CAN MAKE IT So said Enzo Ferrari, and Ferrari means Italy - and vice versa. Ferrari is our most important visiting card around the world and anyone who does not yet have one in their garage can see what it would be like by visiting two museums, one in Modena (the Enzo Ferrari Museum) and the other in Maranello (The Ferrari Museum). The Modena museum is built around the house where Enzo Ferrari was born, next to his father Alfredo Dino’s workshop, and forms the Ferrari Museum. The futuristic pavilion beside it hosts the “Red Carpet” exhibition, a homage to international film-making and the Ferraris of all periods that featured in its movies. Maranello, however, is currently the venue for the “Ferrari - Genius and Secrets” exhibition, where first-hand witnesses narrate eight secrets made up of choices, experiments and decisions that have helped Ferrari become a unique brand. The five halls of the exhibition reveal eight Ferrari secrets in various periods from the 1950s to the present day, related by Piero Ferrari, Giorgetto Giugiaro, Paolo Pininfarina, James Allison, Mauro Forghieri, Rory Byrne, Flavio Manzoni and John Barnard. musei.ferrari.com

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PORTO CERVO WELCOMES SUMMER WITH A MAGNIFICENT REGATTA WHICH WILL TAKE PLACE IN JUNE. OPPOSITE PAGE DREAMS COME TRUE BY VISITING THE FERRARI MUSEUM IN MODENA AND MARANELLO

LORO PIANA SUPERYACHT REGATTA Porto Cervo is readying itself to welcome the magnificent regatta organised by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda in collaboration with Boat International Media, due to take place from 4 to 9 June. A fleet of sixteen superyachts and sail yachts from across the world will begin racing on 5 June and the combination of favourable weather forecasts and a magnificent course among the granite islands of the La Maddalena archipelago promise to provide the ideal conditions for an extraordinary week. As well as the exciting sports programme the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda and Boat International Media, with sponsorship from Loro Piana, have organised a packed social agenda with a series of events ranging from Thursdayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pizza party to a gala dinner for owners, cocktails on the Clubhouse terrace and a sunset party at Baia Sardinia. Competition and entertainment come together for the final prize-giving ceremony on Saturday 9 June in Piazza Azzurra, while on Sunday 10 the superyachts will hand over to the TP52s and Soto 40s arriving for the Audi Sardinia Cup, held by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda from 11 to 17 June. www.loropianasuperyachtregatta.com

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THE FATHER OF ALL FESTIVALS The Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Florence’s “Musical May”, its annual festival with opera, concerts, ballets and drama, was founded in 1933, and the 79th edition opens on Sunday 24 April at the Opera di Firenze with two masterpieces by Ludwig van Beethoven. The event, usually devoted to opera, is in the hands of popular conductor Zubin Mehta, and will feature an illustrious soloist in the shape of Andras Schiff. The programme comprises Beethoven’s Ninth symphony and his famous Concerto no. 5 for piano and orchestra, the “Emperor Concerto”. Until 4 July music fans are offered twenty-two concerts, including a recital by Diana Damrau on 9 June (conductor Zubin Mehta) and a concert with the La Scala Philharmonic orchestra conducted by Myung-Whun Chung (19 June). The Extra-festival treats include concerts by the Wiener Philarmoniker conducted by Daniele Gatti on 28 June, the Berlin Philharmonic conducted by Yannick Nézet-Séguin (30 June) and the St Petersburg Orchestra conducted by Jurij Temirkanov (4 July). www.operadifirenze.it

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MANTOVA, HOME TO THE COURT OF THE GONZAGA FAMILY AND UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE, IS ALSO ITALY’S CAPITAL OF CULTURE 2016. OPPOSITE PAGE, THE OPERA DI FIRENZE WILL HOST THE 79TH EDITION OF MAGGIO MUSICALE FIORENTINO

IN THE LANDS OF GONZAGA Mantova is Italy’s Capital of Culture 2016. A cradle of the renaissance, home to the court of the Gonzaga family, UNESCO World Heritage Site and much more besides. It is known around the world for the Camera degli Sposi inside the Ducal Palace. Andrea Mantegna’s masterpiece, though, is only the starting point for a journey of discovery through the lands of the Gonzagas. Nowadays the city’s soul is split between past and present but its gaze is towards the future. Mantova enchants visitors with its centuries of history, quality of life, narrow streets and piazzas (especially Piazza Broletto and Piazza delle Erbe), the treasures held by its churches and its sumptuous palaces, from the Ducal Palace to the Teatro Bibiena, a Baroque bijou that was opened with a concert by the fourteen-year-old Mozart, to the wonderful frescoed rooms of Palazzo Te and the frescoes of Palazzo San Sebastiano. Mantova is the perfect place to visit on foot, following the special trails (the Trail of Princes, the route dedicated to religious sites, the Historic Palaces trail or the tour in the footsteps of Virgil, Giulio Romano and Mantegna), by bike or even on board a boat, sailing on the lake formed by the Mincio river. www.mantova.com

THE AZALIAS OF VILLA CARLOTTA A visit to villa Carlotta di Tremezzo on the swankier side of Lake Como will always leave a lasting impression, especially in spring when its gardens are at their best, full of lovely rhododendrons and over 150 varieties of azalea, all in gorgeous blossom. The wonderful floral architecture formed by the imposing mass of rhododendrons, azaleas and rare plants dates back to the late 19th century, so the Villa Carlotta is set in what is best described as a botanical garden. In April and May it seems to float in a sea of multicolour azaleas planted in high, rounded cushions along the paths. The effect created by the different colours and the size of the shrubs is extraordinary. A flower-filled trail that has few equals in Italy. The bamboo garden is also lovely, with over 3,000 square metres inspired by the principles and methods of Japanese gardens and hosting twenty-five species of bamboo standing among waterfalls, streams and stone structures. Part of the Great Italian Gardens circuit and the network of Lombardyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Botanical Gardens, the Villa Carlotta also hosts events, workshops and courses to promote its extraordinary botanical heritage. www.villacarlotta.it

IN SPRING THE GARDENS OF VILLA CARLOTTA ARE AT THEIR BEST, FULL OF LOVELY RHODODENDRONS AND OVER 150 VARIETIES OF AZALEA, ALL IN GORGEOUS BLOSSOM. OPPOSITE PAGE, BURANO IS FAMOUS FOR ITS LACE AND ITS LOVELY SQUARES AND COLOURFUL HOUSES

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THE ISLAND OF COLOURS If you have already fallen for Venice’s charms, then you are sure to be entranced by the magic of its islands, especially Burano. Burano is famous for its lace and its lovely squares and colourful houses with flower-filled balconies, resembling the creation of a painter in a mood of carefree high spirits. In fact these houses were painted in vivid colours to demarcate property lines, although legend has it that the fishermen painted them this way so they would be able to recognise their home from far away at sea. The most bizarre and famous example is the “Casa di Bepi Suà”, its facade painted with what seems like a multi-coloured harlequin suit. And as if that weren’t enough, there’s the amazing leaning bell tower and the tiny squares where elderly ladies sit making pillow lace, immersed in a atmosphere of silence broken only by the shouts and laughter of children riding past on their bikes and the voices of fishermen as they discuss the day’s catch. The island is on a human scale, and although the teeming crowds in Piazza San Marco are only forty-five minutes away by vaporetto, they seem to belong in a different dimension. Burano has only one real square, the Piazza Galuppi, the rest of the island is alleyways, quaysides and the “campielli”, the small squares so typical of the lagoon settlements. One of the prettiest views is provided by the Tre Ponti, a wooden bridge joining three embankments, ideal for a picture-postcard shot - the colourful houses are reflected in the canal waters, the leaning bell tower overlooks the island and the setting sun drops behind the old fish market, with the diminutive skyline of Venice in the background.

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BEST OF ITALY

THE ROYAL PALACE OF CASERTA The new manager Mauro Felicori has been accused of working too hard, but looking after such an extensive concern is no simple task. The 18th century Reggia di Caserta and its gardens (a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1997), created by Vanvitelli for the Bourbons, is a triumph of Italian Baroque and stands comparison with its counterparts, Versailles and the Escorial. This monumental complex covers 45,000 square metres, with 1,200 rooms and thirty-four staircases over five floors crowned by a large central cupola. The most striking spaces are the Throne Room, lobby, monumental grand staircase and Palatine Chapel - but the gallery, library and the Teatro di Corte also leave a lasting impression. The surrounding park is a typical example of an Italianate garden with cascades and fountains. It stretches to the hilltop, where an English garden creates a setting for a walk among exotic plants. UNESCO has also placed the aqueduct by architect Luigi Vanvitelli and the nearby San Leucio complex on its list of World Heritage Sites. www.reggiadicaserta.beniculturali.it

9 THE MASTERPIECE CREATED BY VANVITELLI FOR THE BOURNONS IA A TRIUMPH OF ITALIAN BAROQUE. OPPOSIT PAGE, MILAN’S FASHION DISTRICT, THE “QUADRILATERO” IS A MAGNET FOR ALL FASHIONISTAS

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MILAN, CAPITAL OF LUXURY Who wouldn’t enjoy indulging in some retail therapy in the world’s most prestigious fashion boutiques? Milan is the perfect solution - here visitors can satisfy every desire at one of the favourite destinations for luxury consumers (in fourth place in 2015 behind Paris, New York and London, third on the list of cities visitors intend to come to in 2016 for reasons involving luxury shopping). Milan’s fashion district, the “Quadrilatero”, is a magnet for all fashionistas, especially via Montenapoleone and the nearby via Pietro Verri, via della Spiga and via Sant’Andrea, which as well as fashion items also offer the finest antiques and jewellery. Not to mention the sumptuous via Manzoni, the elegant Corso Venezia and the ever-crowded Corso Vittorio Emanuele. Above all, Lombardy’s capital is a luxury shopping destination for big spenders from the developing markets - sixty per cent Chinese and fifty-two per cent Russians, while Brazilians and South Koreans see it as a trendy destination.

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EDITOR IN CHIEF Barbara Del Duca barbaradelduca@platinummedialab.com

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n° 14 SUMMER 2016

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